The 175th Hunger Games
by WritingToStayHalfSane
Summary: My own version of the Hunger Games...100 years into the future! With thanks to richards25, NightBurd, Mattygun, ShadowFin, ShushI'mAReaderInBed, megan.dunbar.10441, Blackcat 8991, and OneTrueWasteOfSpace x Thank you all so much for supporting me while I wrote this, it means a lot with all of your ideas for the characters and everything ;)
1. Prologue

Prologue

_The previous Hunger Games, the 174th._

Three girls sat in a triangle formation around what remained of the Cornucopia. The great gold horn had been knocked down during earthquakes, fires and avalanches, and only three apples were left. These games had it all.

The girls were Elanur Crawson of District 10, Alice Menning of District 11, and Rashel Brownsteed of District 12. None of the girls wanted to kill the others. Only Alice had killed before, twice, the other girls had outlasted the rest. And there they sat, the last three tributes, representing the poorest and weakest districts in the horrible televised show, known only as, the Hunger Games.

Alice got to her feet, looming solemnly above the others.

"We can't just sit here. They can blow us up, or set us on fire. Would you rather they kill us, or we kill each other?" she stated, and Elanur grunted in agreement. None of them moved.

"But how would we decide who wins?" Rashel squeaked, then cursed herself for sounding so childish. Elanur turned to her.

"We should just fight to the death."

"Or we could all commit suicide."

"That would cause a lot of trouble for the Districts," Alice pointed out. She looked over to wear the sun was setting, and she heard an ominous rumbling in the distance.

"But I don't want to live anymore. There's no longer a reason for me to be here."

She blew a kiss out towards the sun, and in one swift movement, she withdrew a jagged knife from her belt and slit her own throat.

Rashel screamed, and Alice made a small noise, almost as if she were confused at what was happening. She turned to the girls before her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped to the grass, turning it a dark red. The girl from District 12 sobbed loudly, and her tears started flowing down her cheeks in a rapid waterfall. She screamed loudly and cried for her mother and her brother, and Elanur squatted next to her, rubbing her back in shock of what had just happened. Elanur smiled to herself.

"Alice was so brave." she positioned herself so that she was in front of the crying girl, and rubbed her shoulders.

"And so are we." She handed Rashel Alice's knife, and smiled to herself in a grim sort of way. Rashel sat there, staring at it, sobbing and hiccuping occasionally, and she laughed, a cute little giggle of innocence and pureness. She pressed the knife deep into her own throat, cutting out the laugh, and they smiled at each other as the light in her eyes dimmed, and a cannon went off in the distance. Elanur laughed, trying to remember how she had got here as the trumpets sounded, and a helicopter appeared from the air. But the last standing tribute, the victor in a way, continued laughing, and crying at the same time, looked at the camera attached to the bottom of the helicopter, and stuck the knife into her own neck. She was cut off by a gurgle, but she was smiling, and she forced her eyes closed with her fingers, crawled over to the other girls and did the same, just before she was grabbed by a giant metallic claw.

_In the GameCenter, a day after the Hunger Games finale._

Carlton Snow, President of the monstrous country (If it could be called that) Panem, sat opposite the GameMakers, including the head himself, Thorus Leaf.

"The country is in shock. We have pulled this off flawlessly for 174 years, and now?" Snow shook his head, and Thorus wrung his hands out, his skin a deathly white colour, his face drained of any emotion.

"This will not do. Next year is the Quarter Quell, we have to make the Districts pay! This will lead to a rebellion!" The President shouts, banging his fist on the silk table in front of him, making all of the GameMakers jump.

"I am '_assigning' _a new squad of GameMakers." Snow says, as an evil smile spreads wickedly across his face. "Leave now." he commands them.

"The next Hunger Games will be crueler than ever. I swear, the Districts will not know what's hit them." he says to himself.


	2. Reapings (1-4)

The 175th Hunger Games

Chapter One

Reaped (Districts 1-4)

**District 1 girl**

"Wake up Chardonnay!"

I know that voice...I blink open my eyes, but I can't really see anything properly. After a couple of rubs, the sleep dust is gone, and I see the perfect brown hair of my BFF Princess. I sit up straighter and reach for some powder.

"Princess! I don't have any make-up on!" I squeal. Princess frowns at me.

"Yeah, whatever. Your Dad let me in. I just came over to grab that stuff I ordered." she says, looking down at her manicured nails. She's wearing a pretty flowing skirt that reaches to her knees, and a long pixie-sleeved pale pink top with lace down the middle; dressed like a fairy. She looks so pretty, I just wanna hug her tight! But she'd just tell me off for being weird. "What?" I say, getting up and starting to look around my wardrobe for a pretty dress to wear to the reaping.

"Jeez Chard!" Princess clenches her fists and stands up, getting off of where she was perched on my lovely satin and mahogany bed. "I asked you to get your Mum to buy me those stilettos! Don't tell me you didn't get them?" she roars. Oh, I remember now!

"On the cupboard." I say quietly, shrinking a little into myself. I make a motion for her to get out of the room while I change.

"Oh grow up, it's not like you've got anything worth hiding on you." she snaps at me, making a rude flick towards my chest. My chin wobbles, but I turn back to my wardrobe and slip on a short dress with lace down the middle to match Princess's. She doesn't comment on it, so I guess I'm safe.

We walk in silence to the reaping, cos my parents have already gone to work. I spot Jacque, my beautiful boyfriend waving at me as I slip into my section. He walks over to me just before the ceremony starts.

"Now remember, I'll volunteer, and you'll volunteer, don't screw this up for me. We'll win together, and get all that money yeah Chard?" he says, looking fiercely into my eyes. I nod at him and smile. I remember.

The escort reads out a girl's name that I don't know, a little twelve year old girl. My hand shoots up before she's gone anywhere, and I scream in the most polite and charming way I can, "I volunteer!"

The escort beckons me up to the stage, and I take my place in front of the crowd, smiling and waving as they applaud me.

**District 1 boy**

"Luke, get up. Reaping day." my Father says, shaking me. I'm already awake; I've been awake for ages, I just didn't wanna leave my warm bed. I moan a little theatrically, and he walks off, saying "Reaping day."

Wait, _reaping day_?!

I shoot out of bed, making the floorboards creak a little, and I hear Father laugh from a couple of rooms away as I pull on some trousers and a white shirt. My and him have been training my whole life for this, and since I didn't volunteer in time last year, this is _the year_. I'll volunteer, and make my Father, former victor, proud as hell.

I shoot out the door, Father walking calmly behind me, and I stop in my crowd of fifteen year old boys, he stops in the family section. I stare eagerly up at the stage. The escort gets right to it, after the video of the Dark Days, (districts, war, savior, turmoil, glorious, Capitol etc) A girl who's surname, Ader, I remember, leaps up onto the stage. Her smile almost makes me sick. She clearly doesn't know what she's dealing into. Then, the escort pulls out the name of "Lionel Escapade!"

That boy won't get a chance to bring his family honour, like my father brought mine. And like I will for him, and for my Mother. She died a while ago, such a rare disease that the doctors had to send her body off to the Capitol just to identify it. I will make her proud of me, wherever she is.

"I volunteer!" I shout, when he asks for volunteers. Berax, the escort, beams down at me, probably recognising my red hair and brown eyes from my father, and he beckons me up onto the stage. I jump up to show my strength, not bothering to use the stairs. Berax doesn't have to ask my name.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our male tribute, Luke Hades!"

_**Later, in the Justice building...**_

"Luke, well done," my father smiles at me, patting me firmly on one shoulder. "Now just remember, the Capitol will love you, just remember I believe in you." he looks me right in the eye, and I feel a shiver of excitement go through my body. It's like looking in a mirror when I speak to him. A mirror that makes you older.

"But, won't you be my mentor?" I frown. He looks at me for a second, before a hearty laugh escapes his chest.

"I will won't I? Well then, I'll walk you to the train. But have this." he gives me a crinkled piece of paper, with a picture of me and him on it, when I was far younger. On my left side, is my mother, smiling proudly, back straight, hands together. She was beautiful, but I have only seen her once or twice, since she died when I was quite young. I don't remember her much.

"Thank you." I say quietly, and we walk in silence to the station.

"Baby, I don't care, just get us a huge house, make us famous, and come back." Jaque repeats for the gazillionth time. I'm crying a little bit, but I wipe the tears away.

"Why didn't you volunteer?" I say, so quiet I don't think he can hear it. He makes a sound like an animal, a growl.

"I told you, I just didn't get there in time before that stupid Luke got on stage." he says. I'm confused now. I saw that he didn't. He didn't so much as put his hand up to join me. He rushes out, and I reach for him just as my Mum comes in, on the phone of course. She just gives me a little peck on the cheek before handing me a piece of purple satin. It makes me want to cry, and hug her, but she gives me a sympathetic look, and runs out again. No one wants to talk to me, and I feel like I'm about to burst into full blown weeping. Princess doesn't even come to say bye, and before I can ask for her the Peacekeepers are dragging me away to the train station.

**District 2 girl**

My eyes blink open, my vision all fuzzy as I adjust to the dark of my bedroom. A slit of light comes in through my blinds, and I swing my legs over to the side of my bed, glancing at the pile of clothes ready on my dresser. The wall next to my bed is covered with my drawings, and a ghost of a smile twitches on my face as I skim over the weapons drawn with intricate detail, their shadows long and short depending on what time of the day I was in the training hall. There's the odd drawing of an apple tree, or a girl looking out of a window. She always looks a lot like me; straight auburn hair, light blue eyes, a hint of freckles. I shake my head.

Not important.

Grabbing a simple shirt and combat trousers, I say a quick goodbye to my Dad and three brothers, skipping breakfast. I want to get to the reaping as soon as possible, and they'll leave any minute anyway.

I slip into the fourteen year old girl's section, talking to none of the excited and bored teenagers among it. They're all either too stupid to understand the games to their full extent, or don't care to be in them, and get everything they have to offer. I have been training all my life for this TV show, to get a house in the Victor's Village, give my brothers and Dad everything they want. And I will win. I'll kill, and hide and starve to get there, but I will win.

"And our female tribute is..." _Not me, not me, not me..._ "Harmony Elatta! Any volunteers?"

"I volunteer as tribute!" I almost scream, trying to maintain some calm and composed posture as the escort smiles and I walk up the stairs to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our female tribute is..." I whisper my name in her ear, spotting my father smiling proudly up at the stage while I do so.

"Luna Grim!"

**District 2 boy**

"Jecado, wake up."

My sister, Fludia jogs me softly. Of course, I've been awake for hours, and she knows it. I'll bet she didn't get much sleep either. I don't think anyone does on reaping day. She helps me get out of bed, and I see that she's laid out some simple clothes for me, the ones with the least holes in them. She must have been pretty quiet for me not to notice her shuffling around in my dresser. Of course, she sleeps next to me while my Dad works the nightshift, so she must have managed to get up without the bed creaking...maybe I did fall asleep for a couple of minutes.

My Dad looks tired as we walk into the kitchen together. I sit down to eat share a slice of bread with Fludia, but Dad waves us on.

"You're late, you don't have time lovies." he says, barely opening his eyes.

"What about you?" I ask him. He's had no time to sleep since he came home, (about five in the morning) since he would have been worrying about us. Or nightmares about Mum. She died of cancer while I was still young, and all I know is that she didn't die peacefully, and he still wakes screaming from time to time. That's where me and Fludia come in, always there to help. My Dad just waves us on, and I assume he'll catch up later.

"Fludia, I have to tell you something." I whisper, as we part ways when we split into different crowds.

"What?" she says, lingering next to my as the video starts.

"I'm going to volunteer,"

"What?!"

"We need it, need the money and the house. We're well off, but not for much longer. Dad's ill, and we both know it."

She's silent at this.

"I might not win, but maybe I can, I'm ok with my fists and knives y'know." I whisper to her hurriedly. I have no time to say anything else, because a Peacekeeper hurries us along. The video plays, a girl volunteers. She looks sharp and focused, and I shiver to think I might be against her. That is, if I can get past the Careers. A boy's name is called, and when they ask for volunteers, I shout before our escort is finished speaking, "I volunteer!"

His eyes find me, and he smiles. I jump up onto the stage, easily pushing myself up onto the platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our male tribute,"

"Jecado Kresha." I tell the microphone. I hear my voice projected throughout the square, every face in the crowd staring up at me, and the girl too. I breath heavily while they applaud, wondering what I've just got myself into.

_**In the Justice Building...**_

"Luna!"

My three brothers run in to my waiting room in the Justice Building, my Dad trailing behind him.

"Hey guys." I say. I just want to get off to the Capitol. I don't have much time with them anyway, and it'll be quite a while until I get back.

"Good luck out there. I have to go to work and take the kids with me, but I'm proud of you," my Dad beams at me. "Win for us, ok?" his smile vanishes, and instead, there is an anxious gleam in his eyes. I nod, and almost smile at him.

"I will Dad. Promise."

The door bangs open as my sister runs in.

"Why the hell would you do this to us?!" she shouts. I lean back and prepare for a mental slap in the face. Honestly, I can't help it. We could use a beautiful house, and I would love the honour and glory.

"You know why," I say. She folds her arms. "Why didn't Dad come with you?" I tell her. She looks down. We sit in silence for a while, and the Peacekeeper opens the door.

"Just, don't die Jecado, ok?! Don't you dare die!" she screams at me, before I'm also grabbed by my arms, and dragged to the train station.

**District 3 girl**

"Are you kidding me?" I laugh at Eela, and she cringes a little, her cheeks matching the colour of her nose in the cold.

"No way I'm ever gonna volunteer. What about you guys?" I fold my arms and shoot curious looks at my two closest friends. Iona laughs, a grim, harsh laugh.

"I bet you, I'll get reaped. Then no one'd volunteer for me, and I'd die in the bloodbath."

"What a lovely view you have on things, huh Io?" I chuckle. "Eela?"

"Never," she says, and then immediately hesitates. "Well, if one of my sisters got reaped, then maybe. I dunno." she shrugs, shrinking back into her big coat.

"I know I'd never do that kind of a thing. Just stupid, getting yourself killed like that," I snap my fingers, making a click that makes Eela flinch. I roll my eyes. Sometimes, she's just too scared. And sometimes, Iona's just plain depressing. What a group we are. All together, I guess we're the perfect mix.

"Come on, it's reaping time." Iona says, and we all shuffle along in our furry coats towards the square, where the reaping will begin any minute.

I slide into my section, the twelve year old girls, and breath in and out, watching my breath come out in white puffs. The video plays about the Dark Days, and the rebellion, the Capitol painting themselves as the stupid saviors of it all. Of course, they weren't. It was their fault the rebellion started anyway; treating us like dirt, never feeding the poorer districts, like mine properly. Never letting us do anything we want, killing twnety-four of us every single year. It sucks.

The escort digs her stupid, make-up covered hand into the giant glass bowl, and grabs out a name.

"Feonna Grennich!" she smiles, her face skin stretching. My smile vanishes. She said my name. I'm reaped. I'm gonna die.

I look around for volunteers, but all the faces stare back at me, unchanging, unwilling. Eela lets out a little cry, but Iona squeezes her on her leg to shut her up as I walk up the stairs to the stage, on wobbly feet. I look to my parents, and my twin brothers, who are still play fighting, and have no idea that their sister has just been sentenced to death. Iona looks and me pityingly, with an honestly distressed look on her face, while Eela is just crying silently.

But what's worst, is that my mother's crying. And my father has his arm around her, but has silent tears streaming down his face too.

**District 3 boy**

I twiddle with a wire on the side of the rocks as the other guys chat. So far, I seem to be making a man with a sword, but I don't have enough to put in real detail on the armour. I look to my friend Garth, who smiles weakly at me, handing me a little circle of wire without me even opening my mouth. He looks tired. We all do. Everyone gets up early in District 3, so we've been awake for a while, and now, it's only five minutes until the reaping starts. Garth turns to me, and walks over to check out what I'm making.

"Hey. What's that?" he asks me quietly, while Farlan and Mitch carry on talking about the best chances any of us have in the Hunger Games.

"Just some guy." I say, my fingers skimming over the other pieces swiftly, as I add a shield with intricate patterns, and which all fits in the palm of my hand. I start curling another piece to make something random, and then I add little bits that Garth hands me to make the sides spiky, before I add stuff, anything I feel like. Garth's father works in a wire factory, so he's got spare pieces all the time. He's my closest friend. We've been friends since nursery, always got eachother's backs. I'm more quiet, he's more outgoing.

He watches me for a little while, before the bell rings out across the District, and we walk a couple of metres to fit into the fifteen male section.

They go through the video, and a girl is chosen, a girl with reddish brown hair, pale skin, a high forehead and what the cameras show to be shocked green eyes. I have to look away. I hate the reapings, because I hate the look on the tribute's faces. That devastated, my life is over look...the one that I see on the boy who's been chosen now, on the giant screens. He looks like me, light brown skin, black hair that drops in the way of his eyes, chocolate brown eyes to add to that, muscular, and-

"Turan. It's you." Garth stares at me as if I'm someone from a far away place, instead of his best friend for twelve years. What does he mean 'Me'? I turn to see a crowd of people staring at me from every angle, and I stare back. That's my face. My face visible to the whole of Panem, on every T.V worldwide. I stumble towards the stage, hurrying up and moving my legs with surprising speed.

"Ladies and gentlemen our tributes for District 3, Feonna Grennich and Turan Radish!" the escort holds our hands up, and my wire soldier and spring drop to the floor, still in my hands from days ago, no minutes ago.

Mere seconds seem so far away now that I've been reaped.

_**During the final goodbyes...**_

"Feonna, I'm so sorry." my mother sobs, her chest heaving as she presses herself against me, and the twins, Jak and Jayk grab onto our legs. My father gently joins in, and I savour that second, when I'm altogether with my family.

"Fight all the baddies Fi!" Jak shouts, tumbling on the floor with Jayk.

"Yeah! Beat 'em up and win!" Jayk laughs.

I almost wanna shout. They have no clue what's happening. Maybe one day, my parent's will explain. But for today, I am alone. We sit on the sofa together, all huddled until the Peacekeepers come and drag us our separate ways, and I hold back the tears until we get on the train.

My brother Nayan rushes in with my parents, and hold me tight for a couple of seconds, still smelling of home. Nayan's too old to be reaped, but he still gets nervous every reaping day. Well of course he does. Everyone does.

"You...you..." he tries to think of something I guess, but can't find the words. My mother takes over, her familiar smell relaxing my tense muscles for a while.  
"Whatever happens, remember that we love you, and if you're careful, you can make the Capitol love you. You got in you, just make it work." she says, staring deep into my eyes.

"I will Mum. I swear, I'll make you proud. Whatever happens." I stutter. I'm still shocked from the reaping, but I don't have the energy to cry. I've been awake most of the morning.

They leave, and Garth comes in briefly, but the Peacekeepers don't let him in properly. He just manages to throw the wire soldier that I made on to the luxuriously carpeted floor for me to pick up, before I am taken away. Off to the Capitol.

**District Four girl**

_Shink!_

Another knife hits my homemade bullseye.

_Shink!_

It's fun to throw knives. Relieves a lot of stress. I am kinda good at it. I can't take on the proper Careers, but I'm best in my year out of the girls.

"Bethany! It's reaping time, come on!" my Mum calls.

"Coming!" I call back from outside the house, plucking my knives and putting them in my pocket on my belt.

I rush back inside the house, and my mother smiles at me, cups my face in her hands, and kisses me on my cheeks.

"Good luck." she says. My parents are about average for District 4. They're ok about the games. It would be amazing if I could win, and bring home all that fame and wealth, but I haven't really been properly trained, and sure, they'd be scared for me. I think if I ever was reaped, they'd send me off with a smile, which is why I am positive as I say goodbye to my parents, and they crowd into the side streets, and I slip into the sixteen girls.

"Amanda, hey!" I shout, spotting my best friend, a blonde eighteen year old. I slink into her section quickly, and she smiles at me.

"Heyar." she giggles, using our signature greeting. "Good luck out there ok?" she adds.

"May the odds be ever in your favour!" I chime in a Capitol accent.

"So, ladies first again!" the escort bubbles, in her bright yellow outfit that is genuinely hurting my eyes. She digs her hand into the massive pile of names, and pulls one slip out, carefully unfolding it, as she reads in a shrill, high pitched voice,

"Bethany Ott!"

_What?! _No way. Surely someone wants to volunteer..? It's District 4 for hell's sake!

But no one's hand shoots up, and I am forced to wobble up to the stage and take my place next to our escort, who is actually scarier from close up. I didn't think it possible. It's the _Hunger Games, it'll be fine_, I tell myself._ I might just win this thing._

_**District 4 boy**_

"Hyah!" I shout, as the trident leaves my fingertips, and sticks straight into the centre of the straw target board.

"Nice one!" my sister, Cordelia shouts from across the training hall. She was a victor, won four years ago. In the Hunger Games, I mean. She and I have always been competitive, and I swore to her that I would win this games. The only way to top her, is to during a Quarter Quell, so that's precisely what I'm going to do.

My father and mother are close together, watching me train with the guidance of my sister. She walks over to me, grabs another trident, and lets me get into my throwing stance.

"Now, adjust to a running throw," she asks me, and I shift my legs to a more deft position that I can run in. "Great." she says, only moving my pinkie finger back a little bit, to make my grip a minuscule bit looser. I run along the wall, moving with the shadows, quietly and quickly, and roll just before I launch the trident from about fifty metres away, shooting it with such force that it doesn't drop a centimetre before it hits the target. Dead on again.

Cordelia laughs. "We'd better get to the reaping." she says, hurrying off after checking her watch, me sprinting right behind her. I push people gently out of the way until I get to the seventeen's section, and I stand and wait for my turn to shout. Some girl wobbles up to the stage, and I find it kind of strange that no one volunteered for her. She gets her act together by the time that a boy's name is called, and I shout out those famous words,

"I volunteer!" before he really gets anywhere. I run up to the stage, so that if someone else volunteered, I'd get up before them anyway. The escort announces us the official tributes for this year's games, and I spot my family in a huddle, cheering up at me, so I grin down to the crowd and pump my fists in the air.

Tributes of the games, Caspian Orman is coming to get you!

_**In the so called Justice Building...**_

"Beth, this is a good thing, I'm telling you." Amanda pats me on the back, and fishes in her pocket for something.

"I know that, and I'm gonna win this thing!" I repeat for the millionth time.

"You just looked kinda rough on stage. Anyway, I gotta run. Just, take this from me, ok?" she hands me a beautiful silver, heart shaped necklace. I look up at her as she walks out, saluting me goodbye.

"Bye!" I shout. Before my voice has finished echoing off the walls, my Mum and Dad come in, all in a fluster, and they say all sorts of things; congrats, good luck, I love you. I feel like a Career, but I don't really want to be one. Just as I walk out, I realise though, that this is going to be fun. And that's the end result.

My parents come in, then Cordelia, then Crystal, who's only a year younger than my family mentor, and is 23.

"This means I'll be your mentor!" Cordelia shouts excitedly. "What a pair we'll make!" she laughs, tilting her head up to the ceiling. I smile, a smile that spreads over my face, warming my body and peaking my mood.

"Good luck. We know you'll win. If your sister can do it, so can you." my Dad shakes me proudly. He hands me a shark tooth on a string, and smiles at me.

"It has a story behind it...something about some girl running away from District 4." he shakes his head, smiling, and pats me on my shoulder.

"Go on Caspian!" Crystal shouts triumphantly. Then, as suddenly as they came in, they go out, and it's just me and Cordelia, being escorted to the Capitol.

**OMG THAT TOOK FOREVER TO WRIIIIITEEEEE XD**

**Next time, I'll only do certain tributes a chapter -_- **

**Tell me if you think I should change anything, and Districts 5-8 should be up within the next week...hopefully...**

**It's two in the morning, so um...yeah...*falls asleep with head on thekeyboard***


	3. Reapings (5-8)

**BEWARE:**

**CONTAINS A LITTLE/A LOT OF SWEARING.**

**HEYYAAAA peopl rereading this, the edits are in for every chapter :D **

**K, resume.**

Chapter One

Reaped (5-8)

**District 5 girl**

The bell rings out across the orphanage, signaling reaping time. I couldn't sleep a wink last night, and now it's that time again. Maybe I can skip it. It's my last year, why shouldn't I be able to? It'd get the Peacekeepers mad, but that's definitely ok with me. I smile to myself. Yeah. I'm already dressed, I'll just sneak out the back, no one'll miss me.

I crouch down low, right against the wall as the other girls start to wake up, sticking to the shadows. I've just made it to the fire escape, when something grabs my arm.

"Not this time Lydia."

I turn around to see a Peacekeeper, holding me steady, and I assess my options. He's got a strong grip, I remember him from yesterday, when I grabbed a couple of 'illegal' apples from the market. I can probably wriggle free, and I can run faster than him, but if I didn't see him when I was sneaking out, he's quiet, and he's got the back-up. I sigh, my muscles relaxing, and he smiles wickedly at me. He pulls me up to my feet, and takes me past the hall, and past the offices, where some of he wardens look at me in disgust. I smile sweetly back at them, and cock my head before the Peacekeeper pushes me out of the wooden door of the orphanage.

Whatever. Prison's nicer than that depressing hellhole.

But he doesn't take me down the familiar road to the prison cells, and instead, takes me straight to the reaping, only metres away from the other orphans, and shoves me into the eighteen's crowd. Ok then...no prison.

They start off the same way as always, that crap about the Dark Days, then wishing us a happy Hunger Games. But then, our escort in her stupid frilly dress, digs her hand into the bowl, and pulls out a name.

"Lydia Ray!" she sings. _What?! _Of all the names in that bowl...the girls in my area turn to me, wide-eyed and stupid looking, and I scowl at them, walking up to the stage. I smile at the escort, trying to put on a good show for the stupid Capitol. I can probably win. With a lot of stored up food, an axe or something, and a nice little cave by a river...yeah, I could win this thing! When it comes down to the last three, a Career and a tribute are even, because the tribute is better rested, and the Career is probably wounded, right?

She asks for volunteers, and I curse myself for hoping. Who in their right mind would volunteer for me? They all hate me. Well, even if I go out, I'm gonna go out with a bang. I'll make them proud to have known me, whether they hated me loads or just a bit.

**District 5 boy**

"Josef honey, wake up." my Mum says, kissing me on my forehead. I groan and turn to the side.

"Sweetie, it's reaping day. You don't have to go to school, just get up for an hour then go back to bed." she soothes me, stroking her arm up and down my arm, trying to get me out of bed.

"Ok, I'm getting up." I sigh. She goes away while I get a T-shirt and jeans on, before taking them off again. I know I'm fat. Barely any of the clothes they sell fit me, because most parents don't have enough money to feed their kids the way mine do. I'm in a very successful family.

I go straight off to the reaping, skipping breakfast as usual. I slip into the twelve year old boy's section, and immediately find two boys crowding around me.

"Hey Josef, can I borrow your homework?" one guy, Finley, asks me.

"Hey, can I have your bracelet? I need it for dinner tonight."

That makes no sense. But I think he needs it.

"Sure." I smile to both of them, handing Finley my homework, and the other boy my beaded bracelet. I still have my beaded necklace, so I'm ok. That, I wouldn't give to anyone. The reaping begins as the video plays out, and a pretty but grumpy looking girl with pale green eyes and short black hair comes on to the stage. Then,

"Josef Matly!"

My eyes widen, and I trip as I hurry up the stairs, trying to get this done with. I can almost hear the whole of Panem laughing at me. I get up again, and the escort shakes my chubby hand, asking for volunteers as I regain my strength. The girl shoots me a look, a pitiful one, and I look back at her, smiling.

_**Later, in the Justice Building...**_

I sit on the soft couch, loving its feel, running my fingers along the fabric. Surprisingly, someone opens the door, and one of the wardens from the orphanage comes in.

She sits next to me on the sofa, neither of us saying anything. She's probably thinking of what to say. She's required to come in here, but I haven't spoken to her much before. Probably the wardens who know me better didn't want to say goodbye. Too busy celebrating.

"I hope you die peacefully." she murmurs. I look at her directly now. She's not much older than me, twenty maybe.

"I won't die." I say, and I can imagine myself, green eyes ablaze, staring directly at her. She looks down at her hands, nods, and walks out.

"Josef, sweetie!" my Mum and Dad rush in, smiling at me and running in for hugs.

"We're so proud of you, we know you'll win this thing for us." my Dad says. My eyes light up.

"You really think I can?" I beam.

"Sure." Dad laughs. He pats me on the back and sits next to me on the beautiful sofa, my mother following suit, and we talk happily for a little while, before I'm taken off to the station.

**District 6 girl**

Someone knocks at the door.

"Kia? Are you dressed?" my mother calls through my bedroom door.

"Yep." I shout back. I woke up about twenty minutes ago, got dressed, and now I'm lying on my bed, swaying my legs around behind me. My mum opens the door, and I get up off of my bed to face her. She pats down my shoulders, making sure nothing sticks out, and then she nods at me.

"It's time to go."

We walk straight out of the house together, even though I wanna run ahead of her. She drops in to talk with some friends in the family section, whispers 'Good luck.' in my ear, and I head off to the sixteen year olds, at the same time watching my aunt Auda, cousin Iso, and Dad join her. Iso waves to me, and walks past them to the fifteens, a couple of metres from where I stand. He gives me a thumbs up and I return it, grinning at him and laughing to myself.

"Renia?" I call, tilting my head to the sky, and cupping my hands around my mouth.

"Right here dummy." she giggles. I laugh. She looks a little like me. The seventeen year old girl I hang out with at school is smart, has warm golden skin like me, except her hair is very dark, where mine is rust coloured.

"Hey, have you seen Devy anywhere?" I ask her, frowning as it crosses my mind. Devy is my best friend since early childhood, he's like my companion for everything. Renia shrugs, but we don't get anymore time to talk before the Mayor starts his speech, the video plays, and before I know it, for once, I'm right here at this moment where our escort is humming loudly and shrilly in the microphone, and breathing in to read out the female tribute's name.

"Kia Waliant!" she shrieks. Renia looks at me nervously from my section, but I frown at her, waving my hands to indicate that she should calm the hell down! It's the games! Sure it's a shock, but I've been a cheeky little girl all my life, I know how to survive, and I can probably win this thing, so I need to start acting like it!

I walk up confidently, smiling at the annoying escort, who, I'm actually taller than, and standing tall on the stage.

I _can_ do this. I _will_ do this.

**District 6 boy**

"Mum I'm home!"

My head snaps up to see my older brother, Geoffry, stumbling in through the front door of our tiny little house. I hate him so much. He only cares about partying, women and fun. He doesn't care that the Capitol are ruining our chances of survival, snatching away our freedom from under our noses. He doesn't burn with hatred like I do.

"Geoffry? Geoffry!" my Mother screams at him, positively furious at him. "Are you _drunk_?!"

"No shit." he giggles. She burns red, and slaps him round the cheek, wiping that smile clean off of his face.

"What the hell was that for?" he rages.

"You come home after a party, when we had no idea where you are, at reaping time the next day? Do you want to be locked up in prison?" she yells.

"Do you _want _to be a boring old bitch all your life?" he staggers, yelling with equal strength. I step forward. That's no way to ever, speak to anyone.

"Don't you dare say things like that to our Mum, you rude, ignorant, scum!" I yell. Geoffry glares at me, and I almost flinch at how much hatred there is for me in his eyes.

"So I come home drunk one day. Everyone does at some point. But of course, you guys will always hate me, just because I don't wanna grab a pitchfork and kill the Peacekeepers in their sleep!" he turns to Mum. "And you have always hated me, because he," he points at me. "Is your perfect little kid, and I'm just the soulless, hopeless, washed up rag in your eyes." he storms up the stairs, and Mum hurries me out the door, muttering on our way to the reaping.

Mum leaves to the family section, and I meet with my friend Hektor Gibbits, who is hanging with his stupid girlfriend, Jessica, as always.

"Thought of any more rebellion plots lately?" he greets me cheerfully. I roll my eyes.

"Why do you have a girlfriend? If you're reaped, how'll she feel then huh? Besides, we're only fourteen." I say. Hektor chooses to ignore me, but we don't have any more time to speak before the escort pulls a name from the bowl.

"Nathan Burtson." my eyes widen and I look for Hektor for some support, but he's disappeared from sight. I tremble up the stairs to the stage. No. I stop. I will not appear like this to the Capitol. I will not let them think that I am scared by their games.

So I walk up the stairs confidently, not smiling, but at least managing to keep my tears at bay.

_**In the Justice Building...**_

"Devy! Where were you at the reaping?" I can't stop myself from smiling as he dashes into the room, his olive skin turning a little gold in the patches of sunlight that come in through the window.

"I was right there, you didn't see me?"

I shake my head.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. You got reaped. How you feeling?" he asks me. I shrug in return. He holds me by my shoulders, and I notice Renia sitting down on the sofa next to me.

"You can win this thing, yeah? I think you might have a really good chance if you try hard, so focus and train." he smiles at me, and they walk out, my family taking their place. My mum sits next to me, her hand laying cautiously on my back, ready to move if I brush her off. Iso sits down in front of me, my dad sits on my other side, and Aunt Auda. Ever since my uncle died, they moved in with us, but I don't mind, since Iso and me are good friends.

"Kia, we don't have much time at all. Remember that we all love you." Dad says, breaking the silence that everyone was scared to shatter, but didn't want to support.

"And don't do anything silly." my aunt says, treating it as a joke but I know that she's referring my endless years of tricks and daring. Just because I'm a little less boring than most people, doesn't mean she needs to tell me off for it.

I nod and smile, not too worried about anything much. I just hug them all, and walk off to the station.

Hektor walks in, and sits next to me, hugging me fiercely.

"Don't die, ok?" he says, his voice breaking.

"I won't be a victim to the stupid Captiol's games. I won't kill anyone, I'll hide out until the end." I say. It seems a good strategy to me, but Hektor just nods and smiles at me, walking out with as little an explanation as 'I gotta go.' but my parents walk in immediately afterwards, and my smile fades as I see that they've brought Geoffry. I gesture towards him angrily.

"We couldn't stop him, he brought himself." my mother snaps, turning to face him. I can tell that behind her strong character, she's distraught and holding back the tears.

"Nathan, I know you don't like me, ok? I get that," Geoffry starts. "I'm not the guy that any of you have wanted for any role in this family," he looks at all of us, and comes back to me, his eyes weirdly focused since he's still kind of drunk. "Stay alive as long as possible. Show those Capitol assholes, show them you can't be forced into anything you don't wanna do, ok?" he smiles. I don't return it, but I nod.

"I'll try and stay alive."

**District 7 girl**

I wake up less than ten minutes before the reaping, which is the perfect time for me to get my clothes on, brush my hair, and then go off to the reaping.

I open my wardrobe quietly, to try not to wake my parents, if they aren't awake already. I finger a short but sweet and sensible flowered dress, with buttons at the top, and I tie my hair back into a ponytail with a cream coloured ribbon that my mother gave me on my first reaping, three years ago. Speaking of mother, she comes in my bedroom, knocking so quietly I don't hear her, and my father behind me. I pat my dress, and turn around for them.

"Any stains?" I ask them, but I know the answer. I feel a little guilty about it but I want to show them that I can be trusted, and that I've kept this dress pristine and immaculate. But they know all that anyway.

"Perfect." my father smiles at me.

"Shall we go?" Mother asks. I look to Father before nodding, and we walk in a huddle to the reaping, walking awkwardly on the badly cobbled pavement, and almost immediately finding ourselves in the market, where huge crowds of children, parents and teenagers stand. It's time for us to part ways.

"May the odds be ever in your favour." my parents each kiss me on my forehead in turn, and I let them take a prick of my blood, before striding towards the fifteens, where I see my friend Ruth.

"How're you today?" she giggles at me, mimicking the Capitol accent.

"I'm fine thank you, how are you?" I say back. We laugh quietly, trying not to disturb any conversations.

"We'll talk after if that's ok. The video's starting." Ruth points out, and I nod, her blonde hair swishing around in my face a little.

After the video, the escort trembles over to the bowl, and giggles a little as he puts his hand deep into the bowl, and swirls around for a tribute name.

"Esther Bloom!" he beams, and my smile drops. My name? What did I do?

I start thinking a little negatively, no, a lot negatively as I walk up to the stage.

"Any volunteers?" he asks. Silence. Of course, I didn't expect anyone to, but why did they choose me?

It's not fair!

**District 7 boy**

I wake up in the cold sheets, icy air flowing around me.

"Somebody shut the door!" someone groans a couple of beds away from me. I keep my eyes closed, but push the boy in front of me out of his bed gently, and he mumbles something rude. But at least he closes the door, which was open.

"Why'd you shut this door? Wake up you lazy bastards!"

...and open again. The head warden storms in, whacking the stomach of every boy in bed. I leap to my feet, almost cursing at the freezing temperature of the tile floor, and grab my clothes, running out of the dorm room before she can yell something like,

"Micah get back here!"

I sigh, stop and think. I don't have to. I don't want to. Maybe I didn't hear her? And on that note I run out onto the streets of District 7, hopping along the cold stone with a couple of other clever guys from my dorm.

The crowds part for us, seeing our orphanage uniforms and I run into the seventeens, just in time for the start of the video, which zooms by. Before I know what's happening, a pretty little girl walk up onto the screens of everyone in Panem. I know her. A few years younger than me, goody-two-shoes, top of the class, perfect missy. The kind of girl I could convince that pigs can fly in two seconds flat.

But a second later I hear the name "Micah Phoenixhair" boom around the stage, and am shoved towards the steps by someone. People hate the orphanage kids. I don't know why, but they don't speak around us, talk rudely about us, and shove us into stairs when we've been reaped. I was apparently found on the side of the road. No one knew who I was, or had any money to look after me. So I was shoved into the orphanage and that was the end of that. Named Micah Phoenixhair by some nurse or other. And I can't remember any show of love anyone's ever bothered about with me.

It's a lovely little district is mine.

"Any volunteers?" he calls when I've joined him on stage, and no one speaks, of course. I join hands with the shaky girl, and raise our arms in the air for all of Panem to see that we're controlled by the Capitol, under their will, and have no opinion in our deaths. Well we'll see about that. I can use someone, lie all about myself or other things, I just need to survive. I can manipulate a Career...that would be best. I just can't afford to die.

_**The Justice Building...**_

I'm crying when my parents burst into the room, hugging me and making a little warm and snuggly shell around me.

"Aw sweetie, it's ok!" my mother says to me, rubbing me on the back.

"It's not!" I scream, and she and my father both look at me, shocked.

"I'm going to die! Is that _ok_?" I cry angrily, tears streaming down my cheeks, and I see Ruth open the doors out of the corner of my eye.

"It's not fair. I won't have it." I say, shaking my head and collapsing onto the sofa again, my bravado gone and my father daring to put his hand around my back, smoothing the crinkles in my dress.

"Whatever happens we love you." he says gently, and kisses me on my cheek.

"The orphanage requires someone to be sent," the head warden's voice snakes around me like the cold chill that seeps into my dorm every morning. I put my head in my hands. "It's your lucky day." she says. I don't even have to look up to know that she's smiling. Sometimes, you can just hear it in their voice.

"Well you've seen me now." I say in a sarky tone.

_CRACK! _

Something stings on my right cheek and my hand instinctively flies up to it, and then down again because touching it hurts.

"What was that for?" I shout, because of all days, this is the one that I can shout at her for. She glares down at me, hands in fists on her hips. her thin and wilting face taut and pale.

"Because you are never going to speak to me that way again!" she shouts.

"I'm never going to speak to you again!" I scream as she storms out of the room.

Stupid cow. I'll show her I can get somewhere. The bloodbath will be hard to get past, but I think I can do it. I'll most likely die in the games, but not the bloodbath, I've decided. I guess my token is my father's wedding ring that I always wear. I look at it now, silver and shining. On the inside it says _Forever_...and I furiously wipe a tear off my cheek.

**District 8 girl**

"Nareilan it's reaping day!" someone calls. I got dressed at about one in the morning, and meant to stay up, but instead I think I fell asleep on my bed. At least I'm dressed.

"Nareilan!"

"I'm coming!" I scream as harshly as I can. I give my hair a quick brush. I love the look of it in the mirror. But unfortunately, I have to stand on my bed to look in the mirror since I'm barely a stupid four foot five.

I died my hair black a while ago, black with white streaks. For effect. It was on my eleventh birthday when I dropped my dog, and she started bleeding. Weird thing was, I really enjoyed it. When I was a bit younger, I used to injure animals and make them bleed. But I'm fifteen now. I still enjoy it, but I've learnt not to hurt animals where people can see. My Dad and brother Charn, even my old best friend Karmast are horrible about it though. They make me feel guilty for being the way I am, when really, I can't help that! And they hate me for it. Not my problem.

I make sure my feet sound off of the walls when I run out of the house. I see a blur of my Dad and Charn just about to walk out of the door, but I barge past them and sprint to the square, where the huge screen, cameras and stage are set up. I walk to the crowd of teens that I see at school, all fifteen, and I settle in, people flinching as I come near, and I notice that I have a little bubble where no one dares to walk.

"Hey, Nareilan!"

I turn to see who wants my attention. Ugh. Karmast. I used to have loads of friends, but they've all betrayed me, they don't talk to me anymore. I would rather die than be seen with her again, her little brown bob, sharp features and blue eyes are all too familiar. I turn around from her, but she stands next to me, not saying a word.

"Alrighty, let's choose this years tributes! First up, the girls!" the escort trills. They drive me insane, those stupid Capitollans. She digs her hand into the glass bowl, making us wait ages for 'suspense' I suppose. Really, it's just a bother. I wanna go home, and this stupid excuse for a woman is all that's stopping me. And a couple of Peacekeepers but they don't matter.

"Nareilan Reece!" she bubbles.

Me? Oh, this isn't so bad. I smile, and begin to weave my way through the crowds to the stage. But she said my name wrong.

Again; Ugh.

"Any volunteers?"

This is so hopeless that I almost laugh. Of course, no one speaks up.

Oh, this is going to be _fun_.

**District 8 boy**

My eyes are sticky. I rub them once, twice, three times to get the weird stuff off them, so I can open them properly. I giggle when my Mum's multi-coloured hair floats in front of my face, and I pull it experimentally.

"Joel, it's reaping day." she whispers in my ear. That tickles, so I bat at my ear, but then a second later there's nothing there.

Then I get up from bed, and Mum hands me some clothes that she made for me to put on. Of course, they are brightly coloured, my bright orange top mixing with a set of neon pink trousers. Different to what the other kids wear, but that's what we are;

Different.

My parents make all of their own clothes, and I love what they wear, so I get to wear them too. But today is reaping day, when kids from town go into the Hunger Games, and don't come back. I don't get that. Why don't they come back? Maybe it's because the Capitol is so nice that they don't want to. I don't know.

"Come on then, let's get ready for reaping!" Mum screams, and I let out a little scream as well. I love my parents so much, and as I walk out of the room with Mum, Dad joins us to walk to the square, dressed in matching colours to me. Since they don't work, we have _loads _of tesserae, and my name is in there, what, around fifty times? I'm only twelve, and it's so cool to be in that many times. If I ever got to go the Capitol...I'd love it.

"How's Martin today?" Dad asks in a silly voice.

I look to my side and ask, "How are you Martin?" I listen in for a little bit and nod, and giggle at what he says.

"Martin says he's fine thank you, and that he thinks the lady up there on the stage is very ugly." I laugh as if someone tickled me.

"You'd better get going," Dad says glancing up at the stage. "We'll see you boys later!"

The crowd makes a path for me as I walk down, and I bow to them in turn saying,

"Thank you, thank you." to almost every one of them.

the video isn't any different from the year before, which is boring. It would be fun if they could change it, but every year is the same. The woman Martin called ugly is up and she's calling me name.

"Joel Craig...can we have a Master Joel Craig up here please?"

Oh. They want me to come onto the stage. But I don't want to go up! Oh well. Martin says he wants to see her from close up, so I'll go too.

"Any volunteers?"

Oh I get it! I'm in the Hunger Games!

_** Saying their final goodbyes in the Justice Building...**_

"Now Nareilan listen to me very carefully." Charn says, trying to get me to look at him. He's covered in dirt from working, because our Dad is too old to work. Dad's here too actually, and Karmast.

"When the gong sounds, get out of there, run and hide."

"But I can probably kill a couple tributes!"

"You're not a frickin vampire Nareilan!" he says. I know I'm not. I like blood, I don't drink it. I watch pain, not even blood specifically.

"Listen to him." Karmast says gently. Or patronisingly. I can't tell.

"You're not my mentor!" I shout at him. "And time's up anyway! Have a nice life guys." I storm out

"Joel, have fun ok!" Mum laughs.

"It's all about fun. Fancy foods and weird furniture and lots of other kids your age and older!" Dad says.

"I'm so excited!" I scream. Mum screams too, and even Daddy screams a bit.

"I guess we'll see you on T.V then!" they say.

"Ok, bye!" I shout.

"See you soon!"

**ASDFGHJIKLIKL BLEGH.**

**Sorry that took so long people x Last reaping chapter up tomorrow, and then after that it's five tributes per chapter until the games...then little snippets from everyone x TELL ME ANYTHING I DID WRONG PLEASE :D**


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